Teacher burnout at an all-time high threatens retention

teacher burnout – New RAND research shows stress and burnout among K-12 public school teachers remain far higher than that of similar working adults, even as stress dipped modestly in 2026. Nearly one in five teachers say they’re likely to leave by the end of the 2025–26 school

The classroom stress doesn’t look like one moment—it shows up week after week, until teachers start planning exits.

In 2026, RAND research found that 55 percent of K-12 public school teachers reported experiencing frequent job-related stress. That is down from 62 percent in 2025, but it remains dramatically higher than the 34 percent reported by similar working adults.

The report also found teachers were more likely than comparable workers to report burnout. difficulty coping with job-related stress. and symptoms of depression. RAND senior policy researcher and lead author Elizabeth D. Steiner said teacher well-being has “leveled off since the worst of the pandemic and improved slightly this year. ” but teachers still “fare worse than other college-educated working adults.”.

For many teachers, Steiner added, “high stress and financial strain remain a persistent part of the job.”

That persistence is beginning to translate into movement out of the profession. The survey points to pressure on retention: 18 percent of teachers said they were likely to leave their current job by the end of the 2025–26 school year. Only 23 percent said they planned to remain in teaching as long as they were able.

Stress isn’t hitting everyone evenly. Female teachers continued to report especially high stress levels. Since 2021. female teachers have consistently reported frequent job-related stress at higher rates than both male teachers and comparable workers of either gender. In 2026, 59 percent of female teachers reported frequent job-related stress, compared with 44 percent of male teachers.

Money and time are part of the strain, too. Teachers reported an average base salary of $75,599 in 2026, compared with slightly more than $105,000 for similar working adults. After adjusting for inflation, only 39 percent of teachers received a pay raise from the previous school year.

The squeeze also extends beyond the school day. Nearly one-third of teachers said they held a job outside their school system, spending an average of 13 hours per week on that additional work. Teachers also reported spending an average of $665 out of pocket on classroom supplies.

When teachers were asked what fuels their stress most, managing student behavior was the most-cited source. It was named by 52 percent of teachers. Low salary and time spent working outside contract hours also ranked among the top stressors.

All of this comes from results drawn from the 2026 State of the American Teacher Survey and the American Life Panel survey. Both are nationally representative surveys funded by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. The surveys were administered to K-12 public school teachers and similar working adults across the country from January to February 2026.

The work was conducted in the Education and Employment program of RAND Education, Employment and Infrastructure, a division of RAND that aims to improve educational opportunity, economic prosperity, and civic life for all. Other authors are Phoebe Rose Levine and Sy Doan.

The figures don’t read like a one-year crisis. Since 2021. the pattern has persisted: teachers have remained far more likely than other college-educated working adults to report higher stress. worse well-being. and greater financial strain. In 2026. even with stress declining modestly. the numbers still land in the same place—teachers feeling pushed. coping harder. and weighing whether to stay.

teacher burnout teacher stress K-12 public schools RAND research teacher retention student behavior teacher salaries American Life Panel State of the American Teacher Survey education well-being